Centrifuge



July 1, 1930. H. E. T; HAULTAIN CENTRIFUGE Filed Aug. 9, 1929 Patented Jury 1, 193e Liegi PATENT? CENTRIF UGrE Application led August 9, 1929. Serial No. 384,629.

videmeans to preventr the escape of yanyV separated matter from Ythe interior of theV tube. Other objects I have in mind will hereinafter appear.

I attain my objects by providing a .plurality of contacts or spring fingers having their tube-engaging parts or surfaces vset to a circle slightly larger in diameterl than the diameter'of the tube and by arranging. these contacts so that at least two 'adjacent con- A 1 p tacts will be spaced less than 180 and pref- 2G erably considerably over 60 apart. The

lower end of the tube is 4provided with a spindle which restsV on the endl ofa cupshaped bearing and is also lo'osel/ yjour'- V nalled'therein. Means is provided or con-` tinuously supplying this bearing with lubricant. or more Vcurrents of air against the teeth or vanes ofvan impellerwheel carried by the spindle. The constructions v are hereinafter more fully described, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which A Fig. 1 is a vertical section ofmy centrifu 'e' 2 a cross-section thereof showing one form of spring contact lingers; and

Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified arrangement of the fingers. ,K In the drawing like numerals of reference 4@ indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

1 is a tube having its upper end 1a open and its lower end 1b closed. Preferably the closed end is integral with the walls of the tube, and is provided with a spindle 2. This spindle rests on and is loosely journalled in a cup-shaped bearing 3 which is carried by the inner wall 4 of an oil reservoir 5. An outer wall 6 of the oil reservoir is friction- 59 ally retained on a boss 7a formed on a base 7 The tube is dr'ivenby directing oneV and the inner wall is threaded into the boss. Apertures 8 in the wall 4 form communications between the interior thereof and the reservoir 5g. An aperture 9 in the bottom Of the bearing forms a communication between it and the interior of the wall`4. A slot 1Q in the end of the spindle 2 is adapted, when the spindle is rotating, to circulate the oil through the bearing 3, the yupper end vof which communicates with the reservoir 5. On the spindle 2 is secured a wheel 11 hav# ing teeth or vanes against which currents vof air are directed by air pipes 12, which are connected witha suitable source of supply.

Aplurality of spring fingers 13 arranged concentric to the tube 1, but slightly spaced therefrom, are adapted toA be engaged thereby to form a bearing,l or support for the upper end of the tube. These. fingers are carried by a split ring 1.3n whichis frictionally kretained in the upper part 14a of ya casing 14 which is suitablysecured to the base v7. IScrews l'vfor adjusting the spring fingers 13 relative to the tube are threaded through thecasing part 14a, and these screws also tend toprevent the ring 18a from creep-A ing. has been found in practice that the upper end of the-tube 1 must be free 4to shift laterally, and that the tube has a tendency to rotatefin an orbit against the fingers 1 3. In other words the tube tends to roll over theforward linger yof the two fingersv engaged by the tube, and thus shift itself intoweingagement with the next finger and the first mentioned finger, which is now towards the rear ofthe' tube. To overcome this tendency the fingers are so arranged that at least two of them will be spaced not less than o apart. In Fig.A 2 the three fingers arenequally yspaced apart while in vFig.-8

two of the fingers are 60"y apart, thus leaving eXtra longgaps ofbetween each of these fingers and the third finger. By increasing the gapbetweenthe fingers, ythe force required to roll the tube over a'finger is correspondingly increased. While the tube is being speeded up from rest it Shifts quite frequently-to engage successive pairsl ofcontactiingers 13, and as the speed isin'- creased the shifting is decreased. In practice the tube lies in a position close to or against one pair of fingers and sometimes shifts to a position close to the next pair of 1in ers.

This centrifuge is particularly adapted for the separation of bacteria from liquids used by pathologists. The bacteria are caught in pockets formed by rings 16 and 17 removably carried within the tube 1. The rings 16 are made of metal and are V-shaped in cross section, to prevent them from being flattened out by centrifugal force. It is essential that the rings make a leak-proof contact with the. tube to close off the passage between the outer peripheries of the rings and the inner side of the tube. This is accomplished by inserting rings 17 of rubber between adjacent metal rings 16, whereby the rubber rings, which are flattened out b the centrifugal force, seal the passages be iind the metal rings.

The liquid to be separated is deposited by a small tube 18 into the lower part of the tube 1 whereby the incoming liquid does not interfere with the outgoing clarified liquid which spills itself over the upper edge of the tube -1 into a container 19. This container may be supported on the casing part 14l and is provided with an outlet 20.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a hi h speed centrifuge the combination of a tube; a bearing for the lower end of the tube adapted to permit a gyratory movement ofthe upper end thereof; and at least three contacts substantially concentric with the tube and adapted to be engaged by the upper end thereof; two adjacent con tacts being widely spaced apart an angular distance of less than 180 and more than 2. In a high speed centrifuge the combination of a tube; a bearing for the lower end of the tube adapted to permit a gyratory movement of the upper end thereof; and at least three contacts substantially concentric with the tube and adapted to be engaged by the upper end thereof, two adjacent contacts being widely spaced apart for simultaneous engagement with the tube atV points having an angular distance of more than 60.

3. In a high speed centrifuge the combination of a tube; a bearing for the lower end of the tube adapted to permit a gyratory movement of the upper end thereof; and three spring fingers having contacts substantially concentric with the tube and adapted to be engaged by the upper end thereof, the spring contacts being widely spaced apart so that only two adjacent contacts will be engaged by the tube at one time and the angles containing the points of engagement will be more than 60.

4. In a high speed centrifuge, the combination of a tube having its lower end provided with a spindle; a cup-shaped support in which the spindle is loosely journalled; a plurality of spring fingers having contacts substantially concentric with Vthe tube and adapted to be engaged by the upper end thereof; two adjacent contacts being widely spaced apart an angular distance of less than 180 and more than 60; and means for adjusting the fingers relative to the tube.

5. In a high speed centrifuge, the combination of a rotatable tube having a closed lower end; a spindle carried by the lower end; a cup-shaped support in which the spindle is loosely journalled; an oil reservoir having an inner wall for carrying the support and an outer wall forming a chamber communicating with the upper end of the cup-shaped support; a communication between the lower end of the cup support and the chamber; and a slot formed in the lower end of the spindle for causing the circulation of oil through the cup support.

6. In a high speed centrifuge the combination of a rotatable tube having removable rings therein forming pockets for matter separated by the centrifugal action of the centrifuge, the rings being formed of metal and resilient material alternately arranged whereby the resilient rings will seal the passages between the outer walls of the metal rings and the inner wall of the tube.

' 7. In a high speed centrifuge the combination of a tube; a bearing for the lower end of the tube adapted to permit a gyratory movement of the upper end thereof; and three spring fingers curved in the direction of their length and horizontally disposed adjacent the top of the tube, the said fingers having contacts adjacent their ends disposed substantially concentric with the tube on a slightly larger circle and adapted to be engaged by the tube, the contacts also being spaced apart an angular distance of less than 180 and more than 60.

Signed at Toronto, this 27th day of July,

HERBERT E. T. HAULTAIN. 

